Mayor moves rebuffed by council

DUNKIRK - Reorganization time?

A proposal by Mayor Ron Hunt to change some council assignments for the new year met with opposition and unhappy stares Monday night.

Traditionally council members in Dunkirk have been assigned a department to supervise by the mayor, and Hunt suggested Monday that some of those assignments should rotate starting with the new year, angering two council members.

Not only did Hunt propose removing Tom Johnson and Craig Faulkner from longtime roles supervising parks/pool (Johnson) and the fire department (Faulkner), he also announced Monday that neither would continue serving on the city's board of works in 2010.

At Monday's meeting, Hunt proposed that councilman Eric Bowler, currently in charge of the street department, should take over supervision of the city parks and pool.

The mayor said Johnson should switch from the parks and pool post to the fire department, and Faulkner should change from supervising the fire department - a post he has held for roughly 20 years - to take over the street department.

At Monday's meeting, Johnson quickly voiced his opposition to the mayor's new plan. Johnson said that he had done some research of his own since last spring and consulted with an attorney who told him that council members were not obligated to supervise specific departments. Such assignments could be declined, Johnson said.

Hunt asked Dunkirk city attorney William Hinkle for an opinion, but Hinke said he had not had a chance to research the issue. The mayor asked Hinkle to check state statutes, and Hunt said he was putting his request on hold pending advice from counsel.

It's not the first time a similar proposal has met opposition.

Last spring Hunt proposed that Johnson and Faulkner switch assignments, but that plan was withdrawn, as Johnson pointed out that the city pool was about to open. Faulkner said that fire department personnel were on the verge of moving into their new station at the time.

Johnson said Monday supervising the pool was not an easy task.

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He questioned how smoothly it would function without his help, adding that he didn't want to field criticism and blame if it failed to open next summer.

"I think you're making a big mistake," Johnson told the mayor.

After Monday night's meeting, Johnson said he viewed the mayor's proposal as a personal attack against him. Also Johnson said, "If the pool goes down, it won't be because of me."

Faulkner also expressed surprise and disappointment about the proposal, saying he believes he has done a good job in supervising the fire department operations for so many years.

Also at Monday night's meeting, Hunt commended council members Judy Garr and Chuck Rife for doing good jobs in managing their departments. The mayor said he wanted to keep them at their current posts. Garr is in charge of the water department, and Rife supervises the wastewater treatment department.

Hunt announced that beginning Jan. 1, he is appointing Bowler and Garr to the board of works, replacing Johnson and Faulkner.

Also Monday, council members:

•Approved the appointment by Hunt of longtime city employee Howard Fisher as superintendent of both the water and street departments. Fisher had been serving as street department superintendent and temporary head of the water department. The new arrangement will call for an increase in pay from $15.02 an hour to $17.52 an hour for Fisher with that amount split evenly between the two departments.

Dace Mumbower was promoted from a laborer position to the newly created position of certified water plant operator with an increase in his pay from $11.51 an hour to $14.29 an hour. Mumbower was removed by Hunt as water superintendent earlier this year.

With these moves, Gerald Kirby will no longer be needed as a part-time employee in the water department, the mayor added.

Hunt said the water department changes would be effective Jan. 1.

•Heard a report from Rife that some major repairs were needed as soon as possible at the city wastewater treatment plant. Rife said these could total as much as $250,000 to $300,000, and he planned to invite Edward Biskis of the Indianapolis engineering firm of Fleis and VandenBrink to explain the situation in detail at the next city council meeting.

"The plant needs upgrading," Rife said, saying grant funding could be sought.

•Scheduled a year-end council meeting to handle primarily financial matters for 3 p.m. Thursday in city hall.

•Reviewed a proposal by Hunt to use $2,000 from the mayor's promotions and business budget fund and donate it to the police department's canine unit fund. Hunt said the police department's plans to start a canine unit were going well, and a police dog could be joining the city force as early as March.

Faulkner questioned whether it was permissible for the mayor to make such a donation of tax funds. Hinkle said that expenditures from the mayor's promotions fund have always been done at the discretion of the mayor. Faulkner persisted that he was afraid the state auditors might question such a move.

Hunt then asked clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler to call state officials for an opinion, tabling the proposal until Thursday's special council meeting.

•Approved an ordinance eliminating no-parking restrictions on the north side of Pearl Street between Main Street and Westlawn Elementary School. This was done in response to requests from residents in that area. However, Hinkle pointed out that Pearl Street is still on the list of emergency snow routes and parking will not be allowed during those times.

•Re-appointed four local residents to terms on the West Jay Community Center board of directors. They are Dru Hall, Phil Ford, Jane Ferguson and Jeff Davis.

•Heard a request from Dunkirk resident Judy Julius to have something done about a family of opossums that had invaded her West Washington Street neighborhood. Bowler said he would have the city's new animal control officer, Alan Brown, check into the matter.[[In-content Ad]]